Shoe sole trimming machine



Oct. 7, 1941. w, v 'nN 2,257,826

SHOE 'SOLE TRIMMING MACHINE Filed Jan. 17, 1940 INVENTOR Pfkc) M l/nz [NT/Alf AILTORNE? Patented Oct. 7, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE soLE TRIMMING MACHINE Percy W. Valentine, Brooklyn, N. Y.'

Application January 17, 1940, Serial No. 314,252

11 claims.

This invention relates to trimming machines for trimming the edges of workpieces of various kinds and classes, such for example as the trimming of the peripheral edge of the sole of a shoe in the process of manufacturing shoes; and the object of the invention is to provide a machine of the class described having means for feeding and guiding a workpiece through the machine adjacent a cutting tool rotated at high speed,

whereby the trimming of the workpiece will be automatic; a further object being to provide means for adjusting the cutting tool to compensate for workpieces'of different thicknesses; a still further object being to provide a machine of th character described which is simple and economical in construction and which is so constructed as to adapt the same for us in trimmingworkpieces of many types and kinds, and still further wherein means is provided for quickly attaching and detaching cutter blades for the replacement thereof or for the substitution of blades or other members adapting the same to different workpieces; and with these and other objects in view, the invention consists in a machine of the class and for the purpose specified, which is constructed as more, fully hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in eachof the views,

which is controlled and guided more or less by hand and involves the workof skilled labor. My improved machine is designed to materially reduce the cost of trimming the soles of foot-' wear by performing this operation substantially automatically and at a much higher rate of speed, thereby materially increasing the daily production of soles, while at the same time performing a trimming operation in a more accurat and finished manner.

While the machine is shown and described as formed in the bearing dealing with the trimming of shoe soles, this is simply for the purpose of illustrating one adaptation and use of the invention, it being understood that various types and kinds of leather goods may be trimmed with my improved machine. The machine is especially adaptable for use in trimming workpieces which are of irregular contour.

In the drawing, Ill represents the frame of the machine which is provided at its upper end with a laterally extending arm II terminating in a cylindrical bearing 12. Arranged at the top of the frame is a large supporting table l3 over whichworkpieces, such as soles l4, note Fig. 1. are adapted to pass. Arranged in the frame It) is a motor or other driven shaft upon which are arranged pulleys l6 and I1. Passed around the pulley I6 is a drive belt l8'which extends over twopulleys l9 and then around a pulley secured on the lower end" of'a cutter tool operating spindle 2 l.-

Thespindle construction 2! is in the form. of a sleeve 22 rotating in ball bearings 23 supported in the upper and lower ends of a bushing 24 arranged in the cylindrical bearing I2. The bushing 24 is adjustable vertically in the hearing I 2 to raise and lower the position of a cutting or trimming tool25 by the movement of a radial pin or bolt-26 and an angular or cam slot 21 [2. The bushing is clamped in position by a nut 28 arranged upon the bolt 26.

Extending through the tubular spindle 2| is a rod 29 which engages a tool coupling stud 30 with the spindle 2|. The lower end of the rod has a nut 3| seating in the sleeve 22 todraw the stud 39 downwardly into firm engagement with the spindle as will be apparent. This construction also provides for the detachment of th stud 30 including the tool 25, whenever desired. In fact,the tool 25 is detachable with respect to the stud by a screw 32 as clearly seen in Fig. 2

of the drawing. The tool 25 has cutter teeth spaced circumferentially of the periphery thereof and beneath an upper flange portion 33' of th tool. The flange 33 serves to rest upon the upper surface of the sole I4, or other workpiece, in the rotation of the cutter blade 25 with respect to the periphery of the sole. It will of course be understood that the blade 25 is rotated at high speed while the sole is fed through the machine at a relatively slow speed through the driving and feeding means later described. Rotatable in the table [3 is a workpiece supporting and feed disc orsleeve 34 which may be mounted in suitable bearings in an arm 5l.

The shaft 31 is arranged in suitable bearings.

upon the undersurface of the table l3, and this shaft extends through one side 'of'the machine and has a gear 39 thereon. Theig'ear 39meshes with a larger gear 40 arranged upon a stub shaft 4|. The gear 40 meshes withanother gear 42 on a driven shaft 43, the latter shaft having a-pulley 54 around which is passed a drive belt 45 which also passes-around the pulley I! on the drive shaft I5. -Wi'th this construction it will be understood thatin the rotationof the driveshaft the disc or sleeve -34-will be rotated-slowly toaid in feeding the workpiece through the machine and over-the surface of the cutting or trimming tool 25.

Adjustably supported on the table l3 of the machine is aguide roller 46 supported in an adjustable' bracket 41 having an elongated aperture throughwh'i'ch passes a clamp screw 48 forretaining the bracket indifferent positions of adjustment. The roller "45 serves to "guide the workpiece l4 through the machine-and is adjustable into difi'erent positions -to suit-workpieces of dine-rent peripheral contour.

Arranged directly over the" rotating "sleeve or disc 34 adjacent the periphery of the-cutter or trimming-tool 25, --is a workpiece feed wheel' 49 having a roughened pe'ripheral surface to insure firm engagement with the workpiece. This feed wheel serves to feed theworkpiece with respect to the periphery of the cutter tool 25 which is rotated in a direction opposite toOr againstthe direction of feed of theworkpiece through the machine. wheel 49-= and the rotating workpiecesupporting disc or sleeve 34 serves to urge andhold the The combination of the rotary feed workpiece in' engageme'nt' with the cutter to provide -what maybe termed an automatic feed of the'workpieoe through themachine. Onthe other hand, the guide roller 46 serves to counteract the feed movementotthe workpiece in movingthe same -or the trimmed portion thereof away from the feed "elements'34 and49.

"The =wheel*49 is supported upon a shaft -50 The shaft' 50- is reduced as seen 'at-52 to clear the "dome-shapedhead of'the-cutter 25' as clearly seen in Fig. 2of' the drawing, so as tominimize the diameter -of the wheel 49- and to' -keep the axis of rotation of this wheel as close to the surface of the sleeve 34 as possible. The shaft'50 extends through the other end of the armand has a gear '53 arrangedthereon to mesh with the large gear lll so as to be driven through the same drive which'is provided" for the sleeve 34.

Arranged upon the uppersurface of the table are bearings 54 for a pivot'pin55 which passes through a bearing 56. on the arm5 l. 55 has'an enlarged milled head 51 at oneend thereof and a key pin 58 operating in a bayonet slot 59 formed in one of the bearings'54 to provide quick detachment of the pin 55 for the removal of the arm"'5|"whenever desired, and parithe direction of the workpiece.

kinds of workpieces.

respect to the other.

ticularly in replacing the tool 25. Supported at one side of the arm 5| is a flat spring 60 which is secured at one end to one of the bearings 54, the other end resting upon a headed pin 6| extending laterally from the arm 5|. At 62 is shown a bracket supporting an adjustment screw 63 for depressing the spring 60 to increase the tensional engagement of the feed wheel 49 with the upper surface of the workpiece l4.

At 64 is shown an adjustable stop screw arranged in the table l3 beneath the arm 5| to limit downward movement of the wheel 49 in The resilient support of the wheel in engagement with the 'workpiecewill compensate for any slight irregularities which may occur in the workpiece,

while at the same time providing the desired tensionalengagement with the workpiece, and further compensating for slight variations in workpiece thicknesses, consistent with the vertical adjustment provided for the cutter 25, as previously described. In other words, in operating upon workpieces in the form of shoe soles, the thicknesses of these workpieces vary in the manufacture-ofdifferent types, kinds and'grades of shoes,

and this adjustmentthroughvertical movement of the arm- 5| will-not be such as to affect the drive between-the gears 40 and 53 in'that the gear 53 is located closely adjacent the pivot" pin 55 on which the arm" 5| swings. the-swinging movement of the arm 5| moves the gear 53' over the periphery of the gear 40'rather Furthermore than ina direction radial with'resp'ect thereto. In the present construction a yoke-shapedretaining plate 65 is-secured -to thetable l3 to overlie part of the upper surface of the rotating sleeve34 at a point opposite the engagement of -the workpiece therewith to retain thesleeve 34 against displacement in the table.

The'yoke65 is also disposed directly above the engagement of the beveled pinion-36 with the sleeve 34. c However, any other type of mounting may-be provided, the only thing which is desirable'beingi to provide a' workpiecesupport and feeding member which is substantially in alinement with the upper surface of the table employed or protruding slightly thereabove to provide a more orxless automatic feed of the workpiece over thetable vorof the workpieceinto operative position.

It will be understood that the tubular spindle '221 is retained against movement in the bushing 24 so that in the adjustment of the bushing in the bearing l2, the sleeve 22 together with the pulley20, the stud 30 and cutter-25, will be adjusted as a complete unit. It will .also be apparent that different types of cutters25 may be employed in operating upon diiferent types and Furthermore, the machine may have other types of tools. substituted for the cutter'25 for performing other operations upon a workpiece. For example, burnishing tools may -be employed. As a matter of fact, the member 25 maybe said to be a shaping, forming, finishingor dressing tool. In referring to' cutting or finishing tcols,it will also'be apparent that reference is made to various types of dressing wheels which maybe. usedfor trimming, polishing or otherwise finishing the edges of workpieces automatically' fed through the machine.

lt'willbe' apparent that one of the distinctive features of the; machine consists in the arrangement of the workpiece feeding members one with That is to say," the rotation of the sleeve 34, which'may be termed a ring or disc, 'upon'a vertical axis so as to move-the workpiece in the direction of the cutter or other member 25, and in arrangingthe feedwheel 49 upon a horizontal axis and over said revolving feed ring at a point adjacent the periphery of the member 25, and'flstill further in rotating the member 25 in adirection opposite to the rotation of the ring 3 4Qand preferablyat a relatively support and feed ring 'rotatably mounted in the table, a workpiecefeed wheel rotatable on'a horizontal axis and'disposed over the surface of said ring, means for rotating said ring and wheel, a member, arranged within peripheral boundaries of and coaxially with said 'ring' to engagethe peripheral edge of 'a' workpiece at the position thereof disposed between said'ring and wheel in performing a predeterminedoperationupon said edge of the workpiece, and means for rotating said member. v Hr Z. A machine of theclass described comprising a workpiece supporting table, a workpiece support and feed ring rotatably mounted in the table, a workpiece feed wheel rotatable on a horizontal axis and disposed overthe surface of said ring, means for rotating said ring and wheel, a member arranged within peripheral boundaries of said ring to engage the peripheral edge of a workpiece fed through the machine by said ring and wheel in performing a predetermined operation upon said edge of the workpiece, and means for rotating said member in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said ring.

3. A machine of the class described comprising a workpiece supporting table, a workpiece support and feed ring rotatably mounted in the table, a workpiece feed wheel rotatable on a horizontal axis and disposed over the surface of said ring, means for rotating said ring and wheel, a member arranged within peripheral boundaries of and coaxially with said ring to engage the peripheral edge of a workpiece fed through the machine by said ring and wheel in performing a predetermined operation upon said edge of the workpiece, means for rotating said member, means adjustably supporting said member vertically with respect to the surface of said ring to compensate for workpieces of different thicknesses, a pivoted arm forming the support for the axis of said feed wheel, said pivot arm extending over said ring and member in alinement with the common aXis thereof, said wheel being at the extremity of said arm and cooperating with a portion of said ring remote from the pivot of said arm, and yieldable means holding the wheel in engagement with the workpiece.

4. A machine of the class described comprising a workpiece supporting table, a workpiece support and feed ring rotatably mounted in the table, a workpiece feed wheel rotatable on a horizontal axis and disposed over the surface of said ring, means for rotating said ring and wheel, a member arranged within peripheral boundaries of and coaxially with said ring to engage the peripheral edge of a workpiece fed through the.

machine by said ring and wheel in performing a predetermined operation upon said edge of the workpiece, means for rotating said member, means adjustably supporting said member vertically with respect to the surface of said ring to'compensate for workpieces of different thicknesse's, a-pivoted armforming' the support for the axis ofsaid feed wheel, said pivot arm extending over said ring and member in alinement withthe common axis thereof, said wheel being atthe extremity of said arm and cooperating arm for-'limiting'movementof the wheel by said yielding means in'the'dir'eotion of the workpiece.

, 5.In' a' machine for performing predetermined operations upon the peripheral edge of a workpiece, worlfrp'iece feeding means comprising "a rotatable ring and a feed wheel, said wheel being arranged upon'an axis disposed substantially at right anglesto the'axi's' of rotation of said ring, means yieldably holding the axis of said wheel to "control spacing between the feed wheel and the surface of said ring to compensate for workpieces of different thicknesses, a rotatable member arranged within peripheral boundaries of and co- 'axially with-'said ring'to engage the peripheral edge of-a workpiece fed through'the machine by said ring and wheel, means for rotating said member,-said member having a flange portion overlying at least one surface of the workpiece, means adjustably supporting said member to compensate "for workpieces of different thicknesses, and adjustable means" adjacent said feed wheel for guiding the workpiece fed through the machine.

6. A machine for trimming peripheral edges of a workpiece comprising a rotatable cutter member, means for rotating said member, means involving a rotatable ring mounted coaxially with said member and a rotatable wheel cooperating with said ring for feeding a workpiece through the machine, and said ring and wheel being collectively rotatable in a manner to support and urge the peripheral edge of the workpiece in the direction of said cutter member and to feed the workpiece in a direction opposed to the direction of rotation of said member.

'7. A machine for trimming peripheral edges of a workpiece comprising a rotatable cutter member, means for rotating said member, means involving a rotatable ring mounted coaxially with said member and a rotatable wheel cooperating with said ring for feeding a workpiece through the machine, and said ring and wheel being collectively rotatable in a manner to support and urge the peripheral edge of the workpiece in the direction of said cutter member and to feed the workpiece in a direction opposed to the direction of rotation of said member, said workpiece feeding means being yieldable to compensate for workpieces of different thicknesses, and said outter member being adjustable to compensate for workpieces of different thicknesses.

8. A machine of the class described comprising a workpiece supporting table, two shafts arranged substantially parallel to the surface of the table, one shaft being arranged above the table and the other beneath the table, a common drive at one end of said shafts, the upper shaft having at its free end a workpiece feed wheel, a workpiece support and feed ring arranged in the table, means placing the lower shaft in operative engagement with said ring to rotate the ring in the table, said feed wheel being disposed over the surface of said ring at a point on said ring farthest remote from said. first named ends of the shafts, means yieldably engaging the upper shaft to control engagement. for. said :wheelawith a workpiece disposedbetween the wheel and the surface ofsaid ringya rmember fort-engaging .the rperiphery of the workpiece fed-:throug-hthe machine .by

said: ringand= wheel. adjacent the engagement of the feed wheel-Withsaidworkpiece said member bezng arranged -.beneath the shaft supporting said wheel-and otheriadjustable means for guid- .ing the workpiece through themachine. I

9. In a machinerof the class described, having said bearing,- a spindle rotatable in the bushing means coupling said cutter wheel with one end of the spindle, meansat the other end of the spindle in operative engagement with a ,driving means for rotating saidspindle andsaid cutter wheel,

spindle to adjust the position f the cutter wheel .with respect to the surfaceot said table.

-10.=A machine of the:class describedcomprising a r workpiece supporting plate, a workpiece feed ring imbedded in thesurface. of said plate,

. arranged atright angles to' the surface of.-sai,d,

plate, yieldably -held shaft arranged "over I the qsarface of:said-emember;platev and ringewith. the laxisofr said shaft extending, across the axis of said vmember, said: shaft havinga workpiece feed wheel,the ,-per iphery,of which is disposed over the surface ofsaid:ring-outwardly-of-the periphery of, said member -and said ring and wheel, sup- .portingla .workpiece with the. peripheral edge .of the workpiece id-firm engagement-with said member.

'11. A machine: of. the. classdescribed comprisingeaworkpiece. supporting 1 plate, a workpiece feedring imbedded in the surface of said plate,

surfaceof said rmember plateand ring. with the -3,XiS.Of.-Said shaft. extending across the .axis of .and means adjustablysupporting the bushing-g0. in said bearing longitudinally of theaxis of: said saidmember; said shaft havinga .workpiece feed l WheeL. the. periphery. of which isedisposed lover the surfaceof saidring. outwardly of the periphery of saidmember, said ring. andwheel support- ..ing. a workpiece. withthe. peripheral. edge of..the

workpiece in 'firm engagement withsaidmember,

.means operating.said.,ring-and.feed Wheel to move the workpiece one .gdirectiom. and means rotating said ..member .to ..move the periphery 1 thereof in.a .directionnopposite to. the feed of said workpiece.

.PERCYW. VALENTINE. 

